Sourcing aluminium gas cylinders from China

6% duty and two suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, aluminium containers for compressed or liquefied gas, heading 7613, carried 6% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. A suspension to 0% until 31 December 2028 applies only to listed products: seamless aluminium containers for compressed natural gas or hydrogen wholly overwrapped in epoxy-carbon fibre composite, and empty portable medical oxygen cylinders fitted with a valve and a pressure and flow regulator.

Steel gas cylinders are under heading 7311 (see our gas cylinders guide), and valves and regulators supplied separately are classified by what they are, so confirm the commodity code.

Transportable pressure equipment

Gas cylinders used to carry gas are transportable pressure equipment under the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009, so they need conformity assessment by an approved body and the required marking before they are filled, and periodic inspection and testing in use. Seamless aluminium alloy cylinders are commonly designed and tested to ISO 7866.

Agree the filling valve thread and the gas service with your filler before ordering, because a cylinder the UK filler will not accept is costly to rework.

Specifying cylinders

Specify water capacity, working and test pressure, gas service, alloy, neck thread, valve type, dimensions and weight, stamping and marking, external finish, and the design standard and approval evidence.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 2,000 aluminium CO2 cylinders for drinks dispensing, commodity code 7613 00 00 90, bought for £48,000 free on board, with £2,400 of freight and insurance, so £50,400 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 6% rate for aluminium cylinders is £3,024. VAT at 20% applies to £53,424, so £10,684.80. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £3,024 to the landed cost. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method.

Inspection checklist

Approval: check the design approval and batch test certificates from the approved body match the cylinder type and serial numbers.

Testing: check hydraulic test records and burst test results for the batch, and inspect neck threads with gauges.

Marking and packing: check stampings, colour coding and labels, and that cylinders are capped and packed to protect necks and threads.

What goes wrong

Cylinder orders fail on approval, threads and marking. Certificates are for another design or approved body, neck threads do not match UK valves, stampings are incomplete so fillers refuse them, and dented cylinders are rejected at first inspection.

Verify approvals early, gauge threads, and check marking before shipment. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources aluminium cylinders for UK drinks, diving and gas companies, checking the maker's approvals and test records first. See factory verification.